Quinoa is a great addition to any diet, though it requires proper preparation, cooking and storage for optimal taste and nutrition. It’s one of our favourite foods to eat and cook with. Very versatile and offers a great gluten, wheat free substitute in many recipes.
Here are some facts about the ‘super food’ and plenty of information to successfully cook and store delicious, nutritious quinoa.
Many people think it’s a grain, but quinoa’s a seed. It’s actually a close relative of leafy green vegetables.
Nutrition information for 100g of uncooked quinoa : 
14g Protein (complete chain amino acids)
55% RDA of Magnesium
65% RDA Phosphorus
35% RDA Iron
20% RDA Folate
13% RDA Zinc
7g Fibre
Preparation:
Rinse quinoa with water , repeat 2 – 3 times. Without rinsing, quinoa has a bitter taste due to it’s natural but unpleasant tasting coating called saponin.
To make it even more nutritious, activate your quinoa before cooking. Just like you would with other beans, nuts and seeds, however using a natural food acid along with water.
How to activate ~ 1 Cup of quinoa in a bowl, cover with fresh water and add 2 Tbs of either lemon juice or apple cider vinegar. Cover the bowl and leave it for 12 – 24 hours before rinsing and cooking.
One way to tell that your seed is activated, is it will have a ‘tail’ (see image). It has begun to sprout! 
Cooking :
Once rinsed, the easiest way to cook is by boiling in a pan on stove top. Bring water to boil before adding the seeds and cover. Reduce heat and simmer for 15 – 20 minutes or until water has been absorbed. Remove from heat and let stand for 5 mins covered before serving.
Cooking ratio of quinoa to water is 1 : 2. 1 Cup of quinoa rinsed, drained twice cooked in 2 Cups of water = 4 Cups of cooked quinoa.
Storage:
Uncooked quinoa should be stored in an airtight container. If it’s placed in the refrigerator it will last 3 – 6 months.
Cooked quinoa can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 – 5 days. It can be frozen for up to 6 months.
Some of our favourite quinoa recipes include :
Quinoa, Pomegranite, Lamb and Mint Salad
In good health and happiness,
Tracie x
I know quinoa and now I will keep it in the fridge. Thanks Tracie
Glad to hear it, Marilyn! Thanks 🙂